Takara
by emication
Summary: Duo led a pretty normal life as a con artist, until he got caught and ended up being saved by a group of pirates who serve Captain Heero Yuy on his ship The Black Wing.
1. Part 1

+ Title: Takara - Part 1  
  
+ Author: Vinyl Koneko (Emily), roguegirl@att.net  
  
+ Rating: R  
  
+ Couplings: 1x2, 3x4, possibly others   
  
+ Warnings: AU, yaoi, romance-ish, pirates (yum!yum!)  
  
+ Archive: Want it? Take it. Just give me credit, please.  
  
+ Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
  
+ Comments: //Lyrics// and *emphasis* and 'thought' and [flashback], some may not be used in this fic...it's just a heads-up. This little fic was written for Dacia for the 2-year anniversary of A Little Piece of Gundam Wing on July 23rd because Dacia's always been so nice to me. Enjoy!  
  
*~**~*  
  
'I don't fucking believe this,' Duo Maxwell thought as he was hauled roughly by a soldier and tossed into a horse-drawn carriage. Another uniformed man slammed the door shut in Duo's face, and the longhaired man could hear the sound of a bolt sliding into place, locking him in. He felt a jolt and heard the clopping of hooves as they moved down the cobblestone street towards, Duo was certain, the prison where they kept everyone from peddlers to mass murderers to military traitors.  
  
"Great," Duo heard someone snort in the shadows, "the day I get caught I'm stuck with a *woman*."  
  
The longhaired man was about to send a deadly glare towards the source of his voice when he remembered he had been caught in the middle of a job. His hair was down, cascading in waves down his back to his knees, and he was wearing the blouse and skirt of a peasant woman, a strip of leather tied above his forehead holding his bangs out of his eyes. His eyes were lined with heavy kohl, cheeks rouged, and a hint of color graced his lips. "You should wish you were," Duo responded, catching a glimpse of his companion's eyes widening in surprise as the carriage turned and the moonlight killed the shadows he had been previously hiding in.  
  
"Because now I'm stuck with a prostitute." The man seemed to be a little shorter than Duo, but at least three times stronger. Not that Duo *wasn't* strong, but where he was fast and agile, this guy seemed to be pure power. His hair was shoulder-length, pitch black, and pulled back behind his head. His eyes were just as dark and slanted, causing Duo to realize that his companion was definitely not from the area.  
  
Duo huffed at that term, mouth forming a scowl. "Actually, I prefer con artist, thank you very much."  
  
The other man arched an ebony eyebrow. "You conned people into paying you to have sex with them?"  
  
"No, I conned people into thinking I wanted to have sex with them before robbing them blind!"   
  
Duo saw the white flash of a grin through the shifting shadows. "Ah, the Maxwell Demon. I've heard of you. Lots of lords will pay a high price to see you suffer."  
  
"A life of crime doesn't exactly make one the most popular chap," the longhaired man grinned, pleased that his companion had heard of him. "So would I have heard of you, Mister...?"  
  
"Chang Wufei."  
  
Duo's eyes widened. He *had* heard of the other man. The Chang clan of the Far East made a lot of money trading silks and - in the underground markets - opiates. They made a fortune, and anyone who tried to rob their caravans quickly found themselves dead because the Changs were the masters of sword and hand-to-hand combat. They also had connections with very important people.  
  
"So...you won't be at the prison very long. Someone will help you bust out, right?" Duo leaned forward in the carriage, eyes wide with hope.  
  
"I don't plan on getting to the prison," Chang responded. "I'm waiting for a friend." The Eastern man looked out the grated window, and Duo followed his gaze, observing that they were about to pass by the entrance to the docks that led out to the harbor and the world beyond.  
  
"Please take me with you!" Duo pleaded, knowing this was his best and possibly only chance to escape the revenge all the lords he had conned. "They'll gut me alive and then feed me to a pack of hungry dogs before holding me in the stocks for the townspeople to throw rotten food at me and the ravens to eat out my eyes just before being finished off in a guillotine!" he managed to get out all in the same breath.  
  
Chang's face took on a distant look, as if to say that he didn't care and it wasn't his problem. "It would be my friend's call, not mine. I doubt he'd be willing to bring someone else - he's already risking a lot to get me."  
  
"But..." Duo started, but the loud boom of a cannon interrupted whatever he was about to say. A glimpse back out the window showed the buildings around him on fire, and he could hear the horses panicking as they reared onto the hind legs, loud whooshes of air puffing out of their flaring nostrils.  
  
The door burst open suddenly, the wood tearing of the hinges from the strength of the guard that had busted it open. "Chang," the tall man greeted with a simple nod, standing aside to let the dark-haired man step out of the carriage.  
  
"Barton," was the response, and Duo was suddenly confused. The guard was the one who had been in charge of steering the horses, not the one who had brutally attacked him and arrested him in the first place. Duo exited after Chang, seeing the guard who *had* assaulted him slumped over with a broken neck. 'Who the hell is this guy?'  
  
"Captain has a boat waiting for us on Pier 52," the taller man began, walking quickly in the direction of the harbor. Duo had to struggle to keep up, his feet tangling in the yards of cloth swathed around his legs. He paused, turning to settle a cool gaze on Duo. "Who's the girl?"  
  
The longhaired man felt his face grow red, "I'm not a gi-!"  
  
"The Maxwell Demon," Chang interrupted, a sneer gracing his features. "You think the captain'll mind?"  
  
Barton shrugged. "He'll make 'im fish bait if he does."  
  
Duo ignored the threat. He could fight his way out of any situation he couldn't talk his way out of. If this captain thought he wouldn't be worth having around, Duo could at least try to convince the man to drop him off at the next port they stopped at. 'Who knows? I might even be able to pick of some money along the way.'  
  
At Pier 52 a wooden, flat-bottomed rowboat sat waiting with three men - one manning each oar and the other standing at the bow with a rifle, daring anyone who came to close to test his aim. They grinned at each other upon seeing Duo, and one of the oarsmen was so bold as to brush his hand along Duo's ankle as he sat on the aft bench.   
  
"Don't even fucking this about it, bud," he growled defensively, pulling his legs as close to his body as possible while sending a fiery glare in the much burlier man's direction, who in turn scowled at Barton.   
  
"Trowa, you bring us a pretty little toy to play with and it's not even broken in yet."  
  
"That's Duo Maxwell," Trowa responded, stepping into the boat and unhooking the rope that kept the boat tied to the dock. "I wouldn't touch 'im if you knew what was good for you. We'll have to see what the captain says first."  
  
They rode in silence for several minutes, the only sound being the slap of the oars on the waves and the huffing of the oarsmen. Every now and then a military ship would be unmoored to come after them, but the man in the bow did a good job keeping the ships away with his rifle. Duo saw their destination as they rounded a rocky island jutting out of the harbor, turning past a sharp cliff, and Duo had to hold his breath at the sight.  
  
The ship was immense; at least twice the size of the standard military ships, but it seemed narrower, as if she had been crafted for speed. The wood was dark, seeming pitch in the black of night. Things started to click in Duo's mind. "You guys are all *pirates*?"  
  
"That's right, pretty," the oarsman who had tried to feel him up grunted. "Not just any pirates, either."  
  
The rowboat maneuvered to the side of the ship, providing Duo with a perfect view of the white crest cast on a black flag at the top of the mast that also bore the crows' nest. The image was of an angel, wings spread out to the side and feathers floating around its body, perhaps symbolizing that the angel was falling to earth to lead a life among mortals. He recognized it, all right. The Black Wing was widely known, but even more famous was its captain.  
  
And now Duo Maxwell - who had considered himself to be a pretty good criminal - felt like a pale shadow compared to the men he realized he was sitting with. Ropes were lowered when they got the rowboat along the flank of the ship, attaching them through eyelets and waiting as men above pulled on the ropes that looped through a system of wheels to easily bring the rowboat back up to its birth above the deck.  
  
Duo climbed out of the boat and onto the ship when it was safe to do so, and - realizing he was still dressed like a woman - felt strangely amateurish. His gaze swept around the men that were watching the return of the boat, realizing that there were several woman who served on the crew, as well. His gaze stopped on the man who seemed to be in the middle of the crowd. He wore no distinguishing marks aside from the large, gold earring in his left ear and a smaller, black loop that encircled the top ridge of his ear, seeming to be the mark of the Black Wing since all the men and women on deck had the same earring. He appeared to be about the same height as Duo, and was wearing a simple outfit of black breeches, a white shirt with sleeves the billowed out around his arms, and a black vest. The only other decoration was a gold motif on his black, knee-high boots that looked like a design from the Far East.  
  
The longhaired man allowed his gaze to reach the captain's face, and he was surprised because his preconceived vision of the captain did not match his actual appearance in the slightest bit. Where Duo pictured a grizzled old man with an eye patch, peg leg, hook, and a parrot on his shoulder, the captain actually appeared to be the same age as Duo with eyes as deep and the same color as the ocean, an attractive face, and a mop of dark brown hair that looked like it was permanently ruffled from the sea breeze.   
  
Duo noticed that Trowa was behind him, standing straight and tall as he spoke to his captain. "This is Duo Maxwell who had been captured along with Chang Wufei on charges from several lords on stealing small portions of their fortunes. I can dispose of 'im if that's what you wish, sir."  
  
The longhaired man subverted his gaze, noticing that Trowa seemed to use "sir" more to show respect in front of the rest of the crew than because it was required. Duo could see Captain Heero Yuy mentally process the information Trowa had provided as he looked Duo over, as if he were trying to find reasons to prove whether or not he was worth the time and resources. Food and clean water, Duo knew, were hard to maintain a good supply of in such a life where one wasn't certain the next time he'd see dry land.   
  
"Maybe he'll prove useful to us," Heero said, turning from Duo to look at a blond young man with bright, blue eyes. "Quatre, he can share your bunk." Duo felt a deep, blue gaze being focused back onto him. "And find our guest some more appropriate attire."  
  
"Yes, sir," Quatre said, motioning for Duo to welcome him. When the longhaired man walked passed the captain, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was turned to face the other man in the eye.  
  
"Welcome to the Black Wing. Do your part and we won't have to throw you overboard."  
  
Duo just nodded, uncertain as to whether or not Captain Yuy was being sarcastic. He didn't seem like the type. The longhaired man hurried after Quatre, down a set of wooden stairs as he heard the echo of laughter on the deck.  
  
*~**~*  
  
The stories said that Heero Yuy had been an heir of a lord, and that he had been a childhood friend of Princess Relena Peacecraft herself. The story also said that during the war he had been a soldier, and after the conflict had been resolved he went back to his home and was restless. Supposedly Heero's travels during the war merely teased his thirst for adventure, and once he returned to the life of an aristocrat he had lived before, he was terribly bored. When his father announced that he had an arranged marriage with the Peacecraft princess since birth and they would be wed shortly after they turned sixteen, Heero fled and ended up at the sea. He had started out as a cabin boy, but he saved his share of what the crew stole, and soon he was able to build his own ship - the Black Wing, the fastest ship to date. The story said that Heero killed the man who designed his ship so no one else could have one like it, but Duo wasn't too sure of that.  
  
And Heero Yuy, ten years after he ran away from home, was the most powerful and most feared of all the pirates with the best ship and crew ever.  
  
Duo accepted the clothing Quatre handed him. It was a similar outfit to Heero's, only the breeches were brown, the vest was a blood red, and instead of the boots he had a simple pair of black shoes with white stockings covering his lower leg.  
  
"It's a good sign that Heero didn't haul you overboard," Quatre was saying, his back turned to allow Duo to change in a little more privacy. "If he didn't think you'd be worth anything, you would be dead."  
  
"So what are *you* worth?" Duo asked, trying to figure out what being "worth anything" meant to the captain. 'I certainly don't want to find myself the Black Wing's personal whore, *that's* for certain. I think I'll throw myself overboard if it comes down to that.'  
  
"Heero was actually a friend of mine growing up. He sort of kidnapped me for the ransom money from my father, and during my time on the ship Trowa and I fell in love, so by the time Heero received my father's money, I didn't *want* to leave." Duo could hear the grin in the blond man's voice. "It's an interesting life. We don't just burn cities to the ground, kill all the men, rape the women, and sell the children into slavery. We only fight when we have to, and a lot of the newer pirates think they can establish themselves by challenging Heero thinking they will win - which of course they never do."  
  
A black-haired man with a piece of cloth wrapped around his forehead popped his face into the porthole at Duo's peripheral vision. "Capp'n wants to see the new meat once he's done getting changed." He winked at Duo before pulling his face out of the porthole and going back to whatever his task at hand was.  
  
"'New meat'?" Duo asked, his voice heavy with dread, and was done getting dressed and beginning to braid his hair into the much more practical plait.  
  
Quatre shook his head. "Everyone's 'new meat' until they've proven themselves. Don't worry about it. As long as you're useful here no one will lay a finger on you." He nodded his head back up the wooden stairs towards the deck. "Heero will be in his cabin. It's hard to miss - it's the only room directly off the deck."  
  
"Should I be worried?" He saw a piece of lace lying on a trunk in the corner, so he held the end of his hair as he grabbed it and tied off his braid.  
  
"No," Quatre scowled playfully. "Now get going. Heero gets grumpy if he has to wait too long."  
  
Duo hurried up the stairs, not wanting to anger the pirate captain. 'The drop-dead gorgeous pirate captain,' Duo's mind added, but he had to force away the thought.  
  
He found the captain's cabin easily enough, and Heero was looking out a view port over the ocean, waiting for him. His hands were crossed over his chest, a solemn expression on his features. "Please sit down, Mister Maxwell." Duo sat in the nearest seat without hesitation, seeing the sword gleaming at the captain's side. Heero paused before speaking again. "Were your charges correct?"  
  
Duo nodded wordlessly.  
  
Heero seemed impressed, which made Duo smile a little to know that his work hadn't been a *complete* joke. "And how much money is on your head?"  
  
The longhaired man had to think about this one, the different currencies hard to add together. "About one hundred thousand gold crowns collectively, um, sir," he replied.  
  
"One hundred thousand gold crowns?" Heero leaned down towards Duo, his mouth millimeters away from Duo's ear, his breath like a gentle caress as he spoke. "Do you want to double that?"  
  
Duo jolted in the seat. Being worth more to the military meant he was a more threatening criminal, and thieves and pirates seemed to play a game by seeing who could have the highest bounty on their head. Duo thought his was pretty good - no one *land* criminals could beat it, at least. "How?"  
  
"Join my crew," was Heero's response as he stood back up to his full height.  
  
"Why...?" Duo asked, a little hesitant.  
  
Heero scoffed. "Because you feel it too. An honest life is just too damn boring - you would have become a tradesman if you didn't feel that way. Eluding the military excited you, made you feel bigger than you really were. And..." The captain knelt down in front of Duo, and he had to admit that he was surprised at the submissive action by the strong and powerful pirate, "I want to make you mine."  
  
The possessive tone in Heero's voice caused him to shiver involuntarily, and before he knew what was going on, Captain Yuy's mouth was on his, gently nibbling on the braided man's lower lip before kissing him fully. Duo found his brain and his body suddenly not cooperating with each other as he savored the feeling of Heero's tongue stroking and caressing every surface in his mouth. Duo couldn't help but moan, and he could feel a faint blush rise to his cheeks when he realized what a whore he felt like by allowing the captain to seduce him, and that on some level this must be wrong. 'But it feels so good...'  
  
They broke apart with Heero nibbling one last time on Duo's lower lip, an expression in the pirate's eyes that was part lust and part something else. "Have dinner with me tomorrow," Heero demanded, and Duo nodded slowly, his brain still trying to figure out what had just happened. The captain stood, planting a firm kiss on Duo's forehead before leaving to go back out on the deck, leaving the braided man alone in his cabin.  
  
*~**~*  
  
End Part 1 


	2. Part 2

+ Title: Takara - Part 2  
  
+ Author: Vinyl Koneko (Emily), roguegirl@att.net  
  
+ Rating: R  
  
+ Couplings: 1x2, 3x4, possibly others   
  
+ Warnings: AU, yaoi, romance-ish, pirates (yum!yum!)  
  
+ Archive: Want it? Take it. Just give me credit, please.  
  
+ Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.  
  
+ Comments: //Lyrics// and *emphasis* and 'thought' and [flashback], some may not be used in this fic...it's just a heads-up. This little songfic was written for Dacia for the 2-year anniversary of A Little Piece of Gundam Wing on July 23rd because Dacia's always been so nice to me. Enjoy!  
  
*~**~*  
  
Duo had problems sleeping that night, having spent his entire life on dry land. The tossing of the boat on the waves made him feel a little ill, although he wasn't going to admit it to anyone on the ship. Duo just hoped he didn't look as green around the gills as he felt.  
  
The following morning had him in what passed as the crew's dining room, drinking what he hoped was tea but didn't dare ask. Duo found himself momentarily joined by several crewmembers he didn't recognize, and from the looks of them didn't want to, so he took his tea to go stand on deck.  
  
Thoughts of what passed between him and the captain still lingered on his memory, and Duo would have been lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed it, but something about it disturbed him nonetheless. The longhaired man had never thought of himself as someone who could willingly belong to someone else, but when Heero said that he would make Duo his... 'Just a little too much excitement for one day, that's all,' he tried to reason, but deep down inside he could tell that there was something else. He just couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
Duo pretended he didn't notice that when he left the mess hall a group of five pirates followed him outside. They were maybe a decade or so older, but in good shape. It seemed that Captain Yuy liked having a fit crew. 'But strength is useless without the right skills.' He smirked into his cup, tipping it back for another sip. In the reflection in the murky liquid he could see the man closest to him had a rapier drawn, the four behind him flanking two on each side. Duo took in his immediate surroundings before placing his cup down on the railing, turning to face the men.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked, trying to sound as irritated as possible, realizing the situation would be easier if he had been given weapons, as well as the change of clothing.  
  
"Now that yeh menshun it," the man wielding the blade replied, "it gets awf'lly lonely at sea, and afta a while all yeh look for is a hot little mouth ta use."  
  
Duo grinned wickedly. "You'll be lucky to have full use of your hand in a minute."  
  
It seemed to take the older man a minute to figure out the meaning of what Duo had said, and when he did figure it out was when he made his first move, stabbing the rapier towards Duo's throat. Duo - having anticipated this move - dodged to the side, grabbing the man's arm and snapping it unnaturally back at the elbow, causing him to drop the rapier. The man dropped to the ground heavily, clutching at his now dislocated elbow.  
  
Duo hadn't known the other four men were carrying their own weapons, and had to clench his jaw to keep from screaming out in pain as he felt the cool metal blade slice by his arm, leaving a line of blood and torn fabric in its path. Duo leapt onto the railing, grabbing the mast overhead and pulling himself to stand on it, ignoring the pain that jolted through his upper arm.  
  
"Get tha little whelp!" the first man yelled from his position lying on the deck, and Duo carefully ran down the mast, glad that the ship was momentarily anchored so she wasn't at full sail.  
  
Duo swung the rapier, jumping between available footholds to neatly slice through the ropes that held up a cargo net that allowed the pirates access to fold and unfold the sails. It successfully trapped three of the men, leaving one final pirate for Duo to deal with.  
  
He jumped back down to the deck, landing in a crouch position and launching himself at the final man, rapier held in his bent arm, ready to strike. But the pirate counter-attacked, turning and shoving Duo with his shoulder, causing Duo to land on his side, the wind knocked out of him.   
  
'Shit,' was all he could think when a meaty fist was raised over his head, ready to render him unconscious when the sound of footsteps on the wooden surface of the deck came to Duo's ears.  
  
"What the *hell* is going on here?" Trowa Barton had just stepped out of the mess hall, looking at the four injured pirates, Duo and the blood staining the white sleeve of his shirt, and the fifth pirate with his hand raised up in the air. Duo let out a sigh relief as he saw Quatre and Wufei appear from behind the taller man. "Quatre, take Duo back to your quarters and see that he gets medical attention. Wufei, bring these men to the gallows. I will go talk to Captain Yuy."  
  
Duo allowed Quatre to help him up, watching Wufei draw his sword and hold it against the other men, motioning for them to head below decks. They send the longhaired man nasty looks before begrudgingly being led away to an unknown fate.  
  
"You shouldn't be walking around unaccompanied," Quatre scolded, unlocking the door to their shared room and having Duo sit on the bottom bunk. He rummaged through a bureau before pulling out a strip of gauze. Quatre then came over to kneel beside the braided man, using a small dagger to cut off the sleeve of his shirt. "You should be careful not to ruin every shirt I give you or you might end up wearing that dress until we berth somewhere and can get you a new one."  
  
"Sorry," Duo mumbled. He watched Quatre as washed and started to wrap the wound. "You said no one would lay a finger on me."  
  
"Well now they definitely won't," Quatre tried to joke, but Duo clearly wasn't in the mood. "Just stay with Heero, Trowa, Wufei, or me and no one will bother you. You aren't an official member of the crew, so to the rest of the men and woman you're vulnerable."  
  
"Chang doesn't seem to be an official member, either," Duo said, tapping the rim of his ear. "I didn't see the earring, and that's the Black Wing's mark, isn't it?"  
  
"Wufei's an honorary member. His clan comes first so he can't be on the crew full-time. There's a tattoo on his arm - a black winged dragon, the dragon for his clan and the color for the ship."  
  
"And what if I decide not to join?"   
  
Quatre hesitated, Duo arching an eyebrow questioningly. "I don't think I should be the one to tell you this," he moved to stand, but Duo was faster, blocking Quatre's way to the door. 'I need some answers and I need them *now*!'  
  
"Who else am I supposed to ask? Captain Yuy? Quatre, who the hell am I going to tell if you told me what I need to know?" Duo pouted his lip dramatically, batting his eyelashes in a way that he had used his entire life begging money off of people. "It could help me decide if I stay or not..."  
  
The blond man gave Duo a look that seemed to say okay-fine-you-win. "Just don't let anyone know I told you...especially *not* Heero because you are not supposed to know this." Quatre took in a deep breath before continuing. "My full name is Quatre Raberba Winner; my line is an old one, and because of this we still have knowledge of things that people these days just tell stories about."  
  
"Such as?" Duo asked, waving his hand in a circular motion to try and draw out what, precisely, Quatre was talking about.  
  
"Such as magic. I can't turn people into frogs or disappear in thin air, but I *can* dream about the future. That's my use to Heero and the ship - he likes to know what his enemies are planning even before they do." Quatre stopped again, making sure Duo was still paying attention. "About a year ago..." he began slowly, "I had a dream about a man who Heero would love, and this man would either love Heero in return or kill him."  
  
Duo felt his mouth go dry. "Wait a minute... How do you know that this man you're talking about is me?"  
  
Quatre's aquamarine gaze met his, daring Duo to call him a liar. "The man in my dream had violet eyes - an extremely rare trait for one to have. We've also been watching you for a while, Duo. If you were the wrong person, I would have been able to tell. It was no accident that you ended up in that carriage with Wufei yesterday."  
  
Duo suddenly felt overwhelmed, fighting between belief and disbelief. 'But Quatre doesn't seem like the type to lie, and I think I'd be able to tell if he was.' "I..."  
  
"...need to rest," Quatre interrupted. "You probably didn't sleep well last night, and you've been through a lot all ready. I'll bring in some food and water should you wake up needing them. Heero did request that you come have dinner with him, but only if you want to. I'll come get you when the time comes. He might still be busy dealing with this...incident of yours. I will let you know."  
  
"...Okay," Duo replied, still confused by the whole thing. He couldn't imagine wanting to kill the pirate captain, but he wasn't seeing himself loving the man anytime soon, either. Quatre's little confession of the dream actually terrified Duo. Quatre nodded a quick goodbye before heading out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.  
  
Duo sat back down on the bunk, listening to Quatre outside, who seemed to be talking to either Chang or Barton, but the braided man couldn't tell through the wood of the door. He felt rather tired all of a sudden, lying down and being mindful of his injured arm. He somehow managed to forget about what he had gotten himself into long enough to doze off, catching up on his missed sleep from the passed evening.  
  
*~**~*  
  
Quatre came back as he said he would, waking up Duo to let the braided man know it was nearly dinnertime. Duo blinked wearily at the blond man, wishing to go back to sleep. He hardly ever felt the motions of the ship on the water anymore, and he mentioned this to Quatre, who just laughed and said he should wait for a storm.  
  
"Were the men punished?" Duo asked, trying to play down the morbid curiosity he felt on the subject. 'I hope they were made to walk the plank after their arms were cut off to attract sharks...'  
  
"I believe Wufei's ruling was justifiable for their actions." At Duo's raised eyebrow, Quatre elaborated further. "They took one of the rowboats - the one that we suspected had termites, but they don't know that - and had them set off with a day's supply of food and water for one person. No compass, but a pistol with four shots."  
  
The longhaired man blinked, confused. "So there was no, 'Aargh, matey, down to the depths of Davey Jones's locker, ya scurvy curs'? Instead they get a boat, food, water, and even a damn gun."  
  
Quatre waved his finger as if Duo was missing the point. "Really, where do you mainlanders get these ideas about pirates? And think about it, Duo. They're boat isn't going to last to long. There are five people dividing a day's supplies for one. They don't have a compass, so it'll be a miracle if they find land, and then the pistol has four shots. It's a race against time, how long their supplies hold out, and how long their patience lasts."  
  
"Oh," Duo replied, eyes narrowing slightly as he thought. "I guess that seems...justifiable." He intentionally repeated the word Quatre had used earlier. "Does Captain Yuy still want me to dine with him?"  
  
The blond man smiled. "You make it sound like such a burden. We've been friends as long as I can remember. If he was a bad guy, I would have told you."  
  
"Yeah but...that thing you said before - the thing you weren't supposed to tell me... I don't want to feel obligated to anything, you know? This whole thing is confusing enough for me as it is, and then you tell me that some greater power told you that Heero would love me and his life rests in my hands."  
  
Quatre sighed deeply. "And this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you." He frowned slightly. "Can't you just forget about it? You're a professional con artist, Duo; I doubt playing along with a bunch of thieves would be hard for you."  
  
Duo scowled. "This would be *much* easier if I didn't find him so damned attractive," he grumbled, which drew a smile out of the blond man.  
  
"Heero has that sort of air about him and he hates it. Even the Princess found herself drawn to him... She's still saying that if he returns to follow through with their arranged marriage she'll forget all of his and the crew's crimes."  
  
"Has he ever thought about going back?"  
  
"No," Quatre replied, "but even the captain of a pirate ship feels lonely, and that's why you are here."  
  
Duo felt himself blushing. "You didn't have to remind me."  
  
"Sorry," Quatre said, a smug expression gracing his fair features. "You should head up to his dining room, now. It's on the upper deck and hard to miss - the door has stained glass on it."  
  
Duo pulled himself off the bed, grabbing a shirt - one *without* his blood on it - out of a trunk and tugged it over his head, patting his braid self-consciously to make sure it seemed to be in some sort of order. He left the room without another word, heading up the wooden staircases and rounding a curve of the ship to see an ornately carved door with a scattering of stained glass decorating the window. Duo hesitated upon reaching it, unsure if he was supposed to knock or just let himself in. Heero must have seen his shadow through the window because a deep voice bid him to enter, which he did immediately.  
  
The room was the most beautiful and exquisitely decorated he had ever seen. All the surfaces were wood, still, but the obvious level of workmanship was what made it so unique. The stained glass on the door had a reoccurring theme in the portholes, which were larger, more like windows, and still held the scattering of color, causing the sun to cast multicolored bits of light across the room. Heero was seated in a straight-backed chair that looked like it had been stolen from the dining hall of any of the lord's houses Duo had seen, but Heero seemed oblivious to the glamour around him, his gaze fixed solely on Duo - who was still standing in the doorway, gaping.  
  
"You may shut that," Heero said, voice a silken purr. Duo closed the door behind him, and Heero smirked. "I meant your mouth."  
  
"Sorry," Duo managed to mumble, clearly embarrassed as he sat at the only other chair at the table, next to Heero. He had never seen such a display of wealth in this small of a space before, and it made his fingers twitch with the thought of how many crowns just *one* of the pieces could bring in. His attention was then drawn to the spread on the table. It seemed to be some sort of fish in a rich, lemony sauce - the scent alone causing him to salivate. Heero then procured a bottle of wine, and Duo watched him uncork it warily.  
  
"Relax, Duo, if I wanted to poison you I would have done it much earlier under different pretenses," Heero poured the blood red liquid into a glass in front of Duo's plate before pouring some into his own. "Have you made a decision on my offer?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet," Duo said, grabbing the stem of the glass gingerly before taking a sip. The rate things were going so far, he'd have an easier time dealing with the situation completely drunk. "Certain members of your crew haven't done a very good job at trying to make me feel at home."  
  
"They've been dealt with - I thought Quatre would have told you."  
  
"Oh, he did," Duo said, reaching out with his fork for a piece of the fish. He had suddenly remembered that it had been a while since he had eaten, and Duo wasn't one to let an opportunity such as this go to waste. "But it could happen again." The braided man decided to switch gears. "Why didn't you want to marry the princess?"  
  
Heero seemed to reel from the question, as if he didn't believe that Duo would ask something so direct. "Do you believe in fate?" he tried, answering the question with a question.  
  
"Not particularly," was Duo's response, secretly hoping the statement hurt the captain, because if Quatre *had* been telling the truth, a matter of fate was the reason Duo was on the Black Wing to begin with. "Did you think it wasn't 'meant to be'? Every other man in your position would have jumped at the opportunity."  
  
"Would you have?" Heero asked pointedly, once again avoiding the answer with another question.  
  
"In no way could I have ended up in that position. Poor street brats doesn't usually end up anywhere *near* the royal castle. And even if they did it wouldn't be much higher than a stable boy." Duo looked up from his plate and over at the other man. "So why didn't you?"  
  
"She wasn't a good person."  
  
Duo arched an eyebrow, his expression full of doubt at the captain's response. "She wasn't a good person, so you run away and join up with *pirates*. Did you think you'd find good people there?"  
  
Heero smiled at Duo, as if realizing the paradox of his actions, and the longhaired man found himself having to tear his gaze away from the pirate captain's. 'Damn it...his eyes are so captivating... Quatre was right when he said Heero had a way to draw people.' Duo blushed again when he realized the pirate was still scrutinizing him.   
  
"How come you aren't a pirate already?"  
  
Duo looked up, startled. He honestly hadn't been expecting that question. "I..." he floundered, trying to come up with a good excuse. He didn't really have any besides the fact that a life at sea never really struck his fancy. "I just can't imagine a life off of land. Could never really afford a sword... All those stories they tell people about how pirates are cannibals and they drink the blood of virgins just never appealed to me."  
  
"Is your blood at risk for being drunk?" Heero asked, a roguish grin spreading across his face.  
  
Duo gasped, not believing that Captain Yuy was asking if he was a virgin or not. "I think that's too bold of a question."  
  
"You asked why I didn't want to marry Relena."  
  
"That's different. This has nothing to do with you!"  
  
Heero quirked an eyebrow. "So are you saying my not marrying Relena has to do with you because you asked and I answered?"  
  
Duo's mouth gaped open. He was rendered speechless by Heero's logic. 'My wits are normally better than this... What is it about this man that sets me off so much?'  
  
"Was it a man? Or a woman? Or maybe even both?" Heero was tormenting him, seeming to enjoy the other man's current state.  
  
The longhaired man scowled. 'If he wants to play this game, I can play it right back.' "Is that what this is all about? Did you fuck your little princess, and then you got sick of her so you joined a ship where you got fucked by your captain? And then you got bored with that, so you got your *own* ship and now it's been so long that you can't sleep at night so you set me up just to *fuck* me too? That's what this is about, isn't it, *Captain*?"  
  
Duo didn't even see Heero move. One minute he was taunting the pirate - which, in retrospect, was a really bad idea - and the next he was kneeling on the floor, clutching the side of his face with a bleeding lip. Heero's hand was raised about him as if he were about to strike again. The other man was glaring down at him, and Duo was returning the gaze just as darkly. Heero schooled his expression into one of indifference, slowly lowering his hand back to his side.   
  
"Get out," he said, voice full of ice, and Duo stood slowly, trying to keep his pride together as he strode out of the room, childishly slamming the door shut behind him and hoping he caused something to fall and shatter on the floor.  
  
Duo never noticed Trowa Barton watching him from the shadows.  
  
*~**~*  
  
End Part 2 


	3. Part 3

Title: Takara - Part 3  
Author: Emily  
Rating: R  
Couplings: 1x2, 3x4, possibly others  
Warnings: AU, yaoi, romance-ish, pirates (yum!yum!)

Duo rubbed at his cheekbone, scowling at the pain the action caused. He could hear a faint, steady breathing behind him - as if the person was trying to remain unnoticed - and the braided man spun to catch the wrist that hovered over his shoulder. "What the fuck, Yuy? You didn't have enough and now you're coming back for more?" The owner of the hand stepped from the shadows, and Duo saw that it was Trowa, not Heero. He frowned at the taller man, releasing his grip on Barton's wrist.

"You shouldn't provoke 'im if you want to stay on this ship for very long."

"Well he should mind his own damn business!"

Trowa's emerald eyes narrowed into slits. "You should remember that any man on this ship would die for Heero and is waiting for a reason to keelhaul you."

Duo opened his mouth, but his brain wasn't coming up with a good retort as fast as he'd like it to. He shut his mouth, resorting to glaring suddenly at the taller man. 'Cool it, Maxwell. You just need to stay alive long enough until they dock next, and then you can spring to shore. And then somewhere along the line when you're living in a nice little home on a mountain somewhere you can think back and laugh about the times you spent on the Black Wing and almost fell for a story on how the captain would love you...' "Well so far you haven't done a very good job at making me feel welcome," Duo growled. "Since I've gotten here I've been grabbed at, nearly sodomized, and now I'm getting beat up by your beloved Captain."

Trowa's gaze remained unwavering, causing Duo to shrink back a little. If Trowa wasn't the main muscle on the Black Wing, he certainly was in charge of whoever was. "We could toss you overboard right here, right now," Trowa's voice was cold, matching his gaze. "All I need is Heero's order."

"Which won't be given," came Quatre's voice as he hurried across the deck. He grabbed Trowa's upperarm, moving him just out of Duo's hearing range. He could see Quatre's hands waving back and forth and he was speaking hurriedly. Trowa looked back at Duo frequently, getting in a few words now and then. Duo was almost under the impression that Quatre was his chaperone and explaining how the longhaired man didn't know any better. Quatre beamed a sweet smile in Trowa's direction and Duo knew the argument was over. A quick peck on the cheek had Trowa heading in the other direction - discussion over.

Duo let out a sigh of relief. He was convinced Trowa was going to hang him under the crow's nest until he begged for mercy and apologized. The stern expression on Quatre's face when he spun on his heel to face Duo, however, made the knot return in his stomach. The blond man waved a finger at him pointedly. "Are we going to have to teach you manners?"

"Tell your captain to keep his nose in his own business and I can be a real darling," Duo huffed in response, crossing his arms across his chest.

"What you need to understand is this is Heero's ship - not yours. Everything and everyone aboard is Heero's business. He asks a question, you better answer it. And he can tell when you're lying, so don't bother trying."

"Well what the hell do you expect me to do? Apologize and hope I don't have to walk the plank?"

"That would be a good start!" Quatre smirked slightly when Duo's eyes widened. "If you're above apologizing, I'm sure we can go below decks and figure out where we put that plank..." Turquiose eyes looked at Duo questioningly. "What did you say that set him off so much?"

"I..." Duo cleared his throat, feeling a little embarassed and feeling childish about the argument. "I might have made a comment about him, er...being involved with the princess in a not-so chaste manner..."

Quatre looked a little sheepish. "I guess I should have warned you about what sets off Heero... No speaking ill of Princess Relena and really, it's just best to keep her out of every and any conversation. Now, Heero should be in the navigation room. You better hurry before he keeps on fuming and gets even more, well, pissed off."

Duo was too surprised from hearing the curse come out of Quatre's mouth to argue.

oOo

The navigation room was exactly where Duo found Heero. The captain was studying a map and plotting a course with a compass when he entered. Duo sat down in the closest available seat - which happened to be right next to the door he had shut behind him. He waited for Heero to look up before speaking, not wanting to interrupt the captain in case it meant the difference between navigating the ship safely through rocky waters or ending up smashed on a rock in the middle of nowhere.

"I didn't mean to get so touchy. Just a lot of stuff has happened to me since I got here and I really don't like strangers prying into my life." Duo shifted nervously when Heero still didn't say anything. "But I kind of am, if you really need to know. Kind of meaning that in my line of work sometimes I have to act a certain way and do certain things to be convincing as my role, but it was never anything mutual and there was always clothing involved."

"Do you always babble when you're nervous?"

The braided man scoffed. "Why would I be nervous? I'm on a shipful of pirates who might or might not want me dead. Not to mention that I got struck by the captain no more than twenty minutes ago, and I'm still starving to death since dinner got interrupted and I haven't eaten in a while... Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess I do babble a little."

"Dinner did get cut short, didn't it?" Duo watched as Heero grabbed a piece of cloth, dampened it, and moved over to stand in front of the longhaired man. "Maybe we should give it another try." Duo sat mesmerized by the pirate captain's eyes as Heero used the cloth to wipe the blood off Duo's face - blood that he had just drawn within the last hour's events.

There was a knock on the door and one of the female crew members that Duo saw when he boarded entered, carrying a tray containing the meal he had abandoned. She moved aside the map, set it down in the table along with the plates, glasses, and the wine, and bowed her head slightly to Heero before leaving. Duo, noticing the steam rising from the food, realized that it must have been reheated. Heero went back to his seat, and Duo moved his chair so that it was opposite Heero's at the table. At closer inspection, Duo noticed that the fish wasn't missing the parts he had cut out before and that the bottle of wine wasn't uncorked. Heero had the galley's prepare an entirely new meal.

"What happened to the one we had before?" Duo never in his life believed in wasting food and was completely aghast by not only the waste of the perfectly good food they had before, but also the waste of funds that went into creating this new dish.

"I had it sent below deck for the crew to squabble over. Fighting is good for them - helps keep their instincts intact when they have nothing else to do. And letting them fight openly over little things prevents a total war from breaking out amongst the ranks."

Duo, pretending to be interesting as he took a sip of his wine, wondered how the galleys had managed to keep it cold. The colonies were in a humid, tropical climate and there was no way the ship could have enough ice that would stay cold enough for long enough, but at this point Duo was beyond being surprised by anything the Black Wing had to offer. It certainly was more luxurious than anywhere he had ever lived - and even some of the places he had robbed.

"Am I allowed to ask why Trowa is so...protective over you?" Duo asked around a forkful of vegetables.

Heero leaned back in his chair, his gaze giving Duo the shivers - and not necessarily in a bad way. "We met during the war. We were in the same legion and were put together in an instance where I ended up saving his life. He swore that someday he would return the favor and has been loyal to me ever since."

'Which explains why he's so wary of me,' Duo realized. 'That whole dream thing of Quatre's is making him think I could kill Heero, and he wants to be there to stop it at all costs.'

"Which reminds me," Heero stood and opened a door in the back of a room that seemed to open a small storage space instead of another room, "I have something for you." He removed the object, and Duo tried craning his neck but he couldn't get a good glimpse of whatever the captain was holding. "The attack this morning prompted my decision to give you this."

Duo couldn't believe his eyes. 'I insult the guy, and he's giving me presents. Not just any present, either, but a fucking sword!' The metal was cold and lethal, the crossguard and pommel were beautiful, made of ornately decorated strands of gold intertwined. Duo wrapped his right hand around the leather-wrapped grip, the sword seemed like it was suited just for him. The only problem being, as generous as the gift was, he hadn't the slightest idea how to use it. Duo was better with smaller blades - rapiers and knives were his forte. Wielding a longer weapon made him feel clumsy.

"So? Do you like it?"

"I can't accept this," Duo replied, setting the sword down on the table between himself and the perpendicular side of the table.

"I'm not giving it to you to try to get you into my bed; I want you to have it." Heero slid the sword back into its sheath before returning to his dinner. "You said you couldn't afford one, and no one else is going to use this one, so I'm giving it to you."

Duo could feel himself start to blush from the captain's words and his kindness. "I don't exactly know how to use it, though."

"Well, then, I guess I'll have to teach you. Right when you're finished eating we can go out and get you started. I'll have the sails lowered - we'll need to be on the mast, afterall."

'On the mast? What the hell did I just get myself into?'

oOo

Duo had been all gung-ho about learning how to wield his newly possessed blade, but he didn't realize that there would be an audience for his little...lesson. He and Heero and cleared off the uppermost deck to make sure they had enough room, but some crewmembers were watching what they could from below and even above in some cases. The crow's nests and cargo nets suddenly seemed like the popular place to be as Captain Heero Yuy and master thief Duo Maxwell prepared to cross blades - whether it was out of enmity or not didn't seem to matter to the crew.

"Can you dance, Duo?"

He fought the urge to snicker in response. "Something tells me that what someone raised in my social class is completely different than someone from yours."

"I'm not asking if you can do a Minuet - just if you have good foot coordination."

Duo smirked. "I'd think evading soldiers requires some sort of footwork."

Before he could blink, the longhaired man saw Heero moving - and moving rather quickly. Duo barely had time to raise his weapon, holding it in a two-handed grip for extra strength as the pirate's blade bore down on his own. He was reeling from Heero's burst of movement. He hadn't expected the captain to be able to move that quickly so suddenly. Duo was also reeling from the other man's sudden proximity. He hadn't forgotten the lustful kiss just from the other night. He also, however, hadn't forgotten that just mere hours before Heero had struck him with a force that caused him to fall to the floor. And all those eyes watching them right now...

'How many know about Quatre's little vision?' Duo wondered. 'How many of these men are waiting to have their way with me in case I look like I have the slightest of evil intentions towards their captain?'

"You have good reflexes," Heero drew the other man's attention away from his thoughts and back to the cool steel blades crossed between them; his gaze was seductive. "Which is a useful thing to have in more areas that this."

His words caused Duo to falter, and Heero took advantage of his slip to sidestep and attempt another attack. Duo was thrown temporarily out of balance, but got it back in time to block Heero's blade. "When you step," the captain advised, "put your weight on one foot and then cross in the front with the other." He withdrew the sword, sidestepping again to demonstrate. Duo understood Heero's comparison of swordfighting to dancing. Duo also quickly realized that swordfighting wasn't that different from a knife fight - both required speed, agility, and coordination. The only major difference was that a sword was longer than a knife, and it's movements needed to be more calculated. The longhaired man gained some confidence in controlling his new weapon, so he decided to try an offensive attack instead of a defensive.

Duo uncrossed his sword, stepped to his left, and swung the blade in a horizontal arch at shoulder level. Heero seemed a little surprised at Duo's change in gears and had to spin his sword in a half-circle to block the other man's attack.

"You said you didn't know how to wield a sword," Captain Yuy grinned at the other man.

"I pick things up pretty quickly," was Duo's response, retracting the sword for another attack. Duo was starting to feel glad that he had discarded the vest before dinner, feeling that if he still wore it he would have been sweating more profusely and his breathing and movement would have been more restricted.

Duo had to admit that he was sort of enjoying this. On a ship there wasn't very many ways to get some decent exercise, and this was proving to be more strenuous that he would have expected. Duo paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead, the evening slowly getting cooler as the sun got lower in the sky. Some of the crew, losing interest or figuring they had something better to do.

He wasn't sure if he was getting paranoid at this point, but with the crew losing interest and his gained confidence meaning he didn't have to think about every move he made, Duo started to pay attention to other things - said other things being Captain Yuy. The way the other man moved, the way his clothing accentuated his body, and most notably the way Heero watched Duo's every move. Heero stopped his onslaught and stood back, leaving Duo swaying as he caught his balance.

"You're getting distracted," Heero resheathed his sword at his waist belt, brushing chocolate brown locks away from his eyes to fix Duo with his intense gaze. Duo felt his cheeks start to burn, not knowing he had been that obvious. The longhaired man didn't even realize Heero was walking towards him until their faces were merely inches away. Duo lowered his gaze when he felt fingers tracing his cheek and down to his jawline. Adrenaline was running in his blood and he almost forgot how to breathe.

"What's wrong?" Heero murmured, his voice reminiscent of a purr. "Afraid you might like it?"

Duo shivered involuntarily. He couldn't deny it. The whole ordeal had been horribly overwhelming, but there was also something undeniably romantic about the situation. True, he did find Heero attractive, but... 'Aw, fuck, just admit it. You are afraid. This sort of thing just doesn't happen to people. Street rats don't get saved by pirates to find out that the captain of the most infamous pirates currently sailing the seas, a captain who happens to be the runaway son of a lord, was prophesized to either be loved or killed by them. It all seemed like a deranged fairy tale.

"I don't know what to think," Duo replied, hesitantly looking back up but focusing on a point behind the captain instead of at him directly. "It's only been a day and a lot has happened." The part that was the most frightening to him, Duo realized, was the fact that some part of him was attracted to Heero. From what he had seen so far, the man was undeniably charming and kind, despite the stereotypes his...profession might create. "I mean, I thought I knew everything there was to know about pirates, but you don't even have the silly hat."

Heero smiled at that, and Duo had mixed emotions as his heart fluttered. He felt like a little girl with a crush on one hand and like a complete imbecile on the other. "Well, I didn't exactly think a famed con artist would be adorable when he blushed." This, of course, caused Duo's face to burn once more. "Yes, that's the expression." He frowned slightly. "I didn't know I was letting you down by not having a hat."

"It's not a loss - the damn thing would just hide your gorgeous eyes," the longhaired man blurted out, and he hadn't realized that he said it outloud until he got a smirk from Heero.

"Now that's what I like to hear from you," the captain looked like a cat that had just found the cream. A cool breeze assaulted them, and Duo shuddered noticably from the sudden chill. Nights in the tropics always had such a severe contrast to the days. Duo was starting to wish he had worn the vest afterall, the sweat on his skin making him feel colder than he should have. "Come," Heero said in a voice that reminded Duo that the other man was used to ordering people around, "my room will be warmer and there's something I'd like to show you."

Duo nodded in agreement, hoping that his mind was wrong about the potential things that Heero could show him when they were in a much more private location.

End Part 3


End file.
